Unwarping wood

[Paul Downes]

A # of years ago I cut a U.P. Michigan out of a nice piece of air dried birds eye maple. Well.........after letting it lay around for a while, 5-6 years, I am going to finish the anniversary clock for my in-laws. I just need to figure out how to get the twist and bow out of the wood. This is about 1” thick and 8” x 24” While I understand that it is heat that allows wood to bend, I’m wondering if I should soak this board for a few days before I try to steam straighten it? I’m thinking of steaming it good and hot and then clamping it between some stout boards and letting it sit for a month or so in the furnace room. It has about 1/2 " bow end-to-end.

[John Christiansen]

A # of years ago I cut a U.P. Michigan out of a nice piece of air dried birds eye maple. Well.........after letting it lay around for a while, 5-6 years, I am going to finish the anniversary clock for my in-laws. I just need to figure out how to get the twist and bow out of the wood. This is about 1” thick and 8” x 24” While I understand that it is heat that allows wood to bend, I’m wondering if I should soak this board for a few days before I try to steam straighten it? I’m thinking of steaming it good and hot and then clamping it between some stout boards and letting it sit for a month or so in the furnace room. It has about 1/2 " bow end-to-end.

Paul,

Obviously, we can't do this in Michigan right now, but with the help of artificial heat and moisture sources, maybe..............

When I have a bowed board to deal with, I will take it outside on a sunny day and lay the concave side down on the grass, for as long as it takes to remove the bow. Sometimes minutes, sometimes hours. All depends on many variables. How much dew and moisture in the grass/ground, how hot and sunny the day is, how much bow. Etc.

I've done this many times successfully with bowed or cupped boards. But if you got twist too, well that's a different animal and I don't have a trick for that.

It simply absorbs some moisture from the ground on the dry side and the sun dries it out some more on the moist side.

You may be able to do something the size of your piece by laying the concave side down on a just barely moist towel and shinning a heat lamp or quartz light on the convex side. Keep an eye on things or it will turn around and bow the other way.

If you are successfull, and get the board to flatten out, then stand it on end somewhere with good airflow and let the board equalize throughout.